In and Around Geneva, Switzerland

In and Around Geneva, Switzerland

Switzerland is a dream destination for many of us. It wasn’t though one of the places on my bucket list that I wanted to hit soon due to its high pocket pinch. One fine day, I was said that I had to travel to Geneva – “The Capital of Peace and Freedom” for an onsite assignment from my office.
This blog is about what I did like In and Around Geneva, Switzerland.

Geneva – “The Capital of Peace and Freedom”

Traveling to a foreign country for the first time, spending time with unfamiliar people and their culture would be difficult for anyone, and not many of us choose to engage in such programs for fear of unfamiliar things, cuisine, language, culture and being away from home. But as you might have understood by now that I love travelling and discovering new places so, I was excited, and my heart was filled with nothing but joy and happiness.

Today I am going to share with you the beauty of Geneva, Switzerland that I was able to discover.

Geneva – “The City of Peace”

It was 03^rd August 2019, Saturday that I headed towards Geneva from the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport,Kolkata, India via Dubai International Airport, Dubai in Emirates airlines which was a breathtaking journey of  almost 13 hours altogether. The first thing that I noticed just before landing Geneva was the beautiful sky as you can see below. It was around 19:15 Hrs. and still there was sunlight outside so I could get the first glimpse of the alps even before landing.

Just before landing the Geneva Airport

Finally I landed the Geneva airport (named as Genève Aéroport) at 19:20 Hrs. No matter wherever I looked, I was in awe by the beauty of the blue sky above me. As it was a preplanned office trip, my hotel bookings were already done and a colleague of mine who had reached Geneva one week prior to me for the same onsite assignment had come to pick me up from the airport. The hotel shuttles ply to and fro from the airport at regular intervals. After having our dinner at McDonald's, we waited for a while and finally boarded the shuttle(free shuttle service to and from the airport was provided at regular intervals throughout the day) to reach the hotel. There are both bus and train facilities at the Geneva Airport which one can avail as well. The picture below is of Hotel Crowne Plaza (https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/) which was my nest for the next 21 days.

Hotel Crowne Plaza, Avenue Louis Casai 75-77, Geneva | 1216 | Switzerland

It was a super deluxe, clean 4-star hotel with fantastic amenties as is mentioned in their website. After completing the check-in formalities, I got my room on the 05th floor with a stunning view of the city. By then it was dark all around and I decided to go for a city tour the very next day as it was a Sunday and I got a free travel pass for Geneva for the entire span of my stay using which I could avail any transport facility and thus go anywhere within Geneva.

Geneva is truly a 

hidden gem in Switzerland. The city is an amalgamation of being a cultural melting pot and an enchanting land of peace. On one end, the city is home to some antique buildings, churches and fascinating museums, headquarters of the UN, the red cross and on the other end, it has snow covered towering mountains, crystal-clear lakes, charming cobbled streets and how can I miss mentioning about the drool-worthy Swiss chocolates and cheese!

After grabbing my breakfast the next morning, I decided to visit the old city and the Geneva lake. I wasn’t sure where to start from as I was so excited. While doing some background study on Geneva before going there I found on the internet that Switzerland has one of the most punctual, efficient, and well-integrated public transport systems in the world. After being there, I really found it to be very true - there is hardly a part of the country that cannot be reached by train, tram or bus and the best part is that all of these always arrive to the minute of the scheduled time. If you are late, bad luck for you, you are surely going to miss it and wait for the next one to arrive. Make sure to download the SBB Mobile app (https://www.sbb.ch/en/) from the Play store - this is an amazing app that allows you to plan your trips, daily transportation and provides live update on all transport facilities(train/tram/bus). Located south of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), the old town of Geneva is dated back to the Roman Empire. 

I took bus no 10 from the bus terminus situated exactly opposite my hotel, Meyrin De-Joinville to reach Gare Cornavin, the city centre from where I decided to take a stroll around the city. 

Switzerland was a dream, it truly was. It felt great to be so connected to nature. Geneva was in fact a lot more fun than what I had expected. Firstly, I was greeted by the beautiful view of the Jet D'Eau, the 140 meter high water jet is an iconic fountain on the Geneva Lake and is hard to miss.

Each one of us have heard that the beauty of Switzerland owes much of its popularity to the Swiss Alps, that day I believed the words as I felt its sheer beauty by myself. Surrounded by the Alps, the city is indeed the definition of the “City of Peace".

Jet d'Eau (Water Jet), Geneva

The Geneva lake is a window to the swiss alps and a home to lovely swans, seagulls and some beautiful and colourful wildflowers. For many people, Switzerland is best known for cuckoo-clocks, expensive watches, chocolates, cheese and incredibly useful pen knives and magnets. However, I felt that these icons give only the briefest insights into this diverse and fascinating country just by visiting Geneva. The mesmerizing colour of the water caught my sight and it was stunning. The most perfect hue of blue glistened down beneath me. The color was so vibrant that I can’t get over it by only penning down in words. The lake provides many recreational opportunities for swimming, sailing, and fishing.

Recreational activities in Geneva Lake - Swimming, Sailing, and Fishing

If you love vintage finds and quirky souvenirs, this is where you’ll find them.

I went around Jardin Anglais - Meaning the “English Garden”, the park is right on the south side of the Mont-Blanc bridge. I didn’t notice when time rolled by, I had some fresh butter croissants and apples which I had for lunch sitting by the lake on the benches laid down in the garden and enjoyed the lake's beautiful view and green spaces all around.

Jardin Anglais - Meaning the “English Garden”

Next, I went to check out the famous L’horloge fleurie, a clock made up of 6,500 flowering plants and shrubs – a homage to the city’s watchmakers and an expression of the city’s dedication to floral bounties of nature. The time in this clock gets updated by satellite transmission.

L’horloge fleurie - Tribute to the city's watchmakers

Then I made my way to the old part of the city by walking through the bridge called Pont du Mont-Blanc.

Beauty of Geneva Lake

I wandered the maze of sloping cobblestone streets and could discover the historical landmarks at every turn. The typical medieval and Renaissance houses are crowded together along the narrow alleys as you see below. Decorated with dozens of wooden framed glass windows, the buildings stand as a home to a cluster of cafes and restaurants. It’s a great spot to spend some time over a cup of coffee or just by munching a chocolate. 

Cobblestoned Alleys and Medieval Renaissance houses

I found some antique stores containing souvenirs depicting treasures from the city’s medieval times.One can see a lot just by winding in and out of the cobblestoned alleys. I stopped at the Saint Pierre's Cathedral. It was built as a Roman Catholic cathedral but became a Reformed Protestant Church of Geneva during the Reformation.

St Pierre Cathedral, Geneva

If you love a spot for shopping, and you are in a good mood to pick up some souvenirs, the parallel streets of Rue du Marche and Rue De Rhone are literally designed for you. These stretches of pedestrian friendly streets are lined with a large assortment of stores to satisfy your wish.

I fell in love with Geneva's intoxicating mix of gorgeous natural landscapes and cosmopolitan vibes.

Geneva's intoxicating mix of gorgeous natural landscapes and cosmopolitan vibes

I thought to end the day by going back to the lake and spending some time by the world-famous lakefront, the centerpiece of the city offering endless opportunities for recreation and relaxation throughout the year. The sky had turned a bit cloudy by then.

Strolling by the Geneva Lake

The fish were sporting and the aquatic birds were swimming and diving in the lake. I saw beautiful yellow,  red and violet flowers in the corner of a lake.

They looked beautiful as they danced in the breeze. The boats were gliding smoothly on the surface of the river.

Captivating beauty of the Lake amidst the cloudy sky

The whole landscape became captivating and held me in its grip for some time. All this was, indeed, a charming sight.

Me, enjoying the sheer beauty all around

The night had set in and the darkness began to envelop all the objects around.

When the darkness began to envelop all the objects around

The fresh breeze coming from the lake refreshed my mind. A kind of unknown calm and peace seemed to side into my soul.

An unknown calm and peacefulness amidst the darkness all around

I was lucky enough to be treated to a colourful night illumination of the waterjet which filled my heart with peace.

Colourful night illumination of the waterjet on Lake Geneva

After spending the whole day by the Geneva Lake, I decided to have my dinner from an Indian Restaurant near the lake side named Indian Plaza(https://indianplaza.ch/) and enjoyed the dinner with some Butter Naan and Chicken Butter Masala.

Way to Indian Plaza, hope you can spot it

It turned out to be a magical destination to me and I pinched myself to be sure that this enchanted land of beauty actually exists and I have been able to cherish a part of it.

I returned to my hotel full of rich and varied impressions and geared myself for the next day for office.

My stay at Geneva was for a stretch of 21 days. After a hectic day at work, nothing seemed to be more refreshing than a quiet walk by the lake. Every sight and sound seemed to inspire the spirit of rest and peacefulness. So, after completing office, I used to visit the lake some time or the other at least once or twice a week.

When every sight and sound seem to inspire the spirit of rest and peacefulness

Home to the European headquarters of the United Nations, Geneva has a long history of diversity and tolerance dating back to the Protestant Reformation. The International red cross was also established here. One day after office, I headed towards the lake and after enjoying the evening with the fresh breeze from the lake before returning to my hotel I decided to visit the European Headquarters of the United Nations.

Palais Des Nations - Headquarters of the UN

Though it was dark all around, at the entrance to Palais Des nations, I took a moment to capture the famous broken chair sculpture which was made to protest the global use of land mines, and it pays a tribute to handicapped landmines victims.

Broken chair sculpture - a tribute to handicapped landmines victims

It will be very less to say that I have enjoyed each day of my stay in Geneva. I never got bored there because there’s always something to do!

It truly is a magical place with stunning white mountains behind the turquoise serene lakes amidst the cobbled streets and old remarkable buildings making it a picturesque landscape throughout.

When I came to know that I was going there, I had no idea what to expect! But I am forever grateful that I did choose to go there and my experience with Geneva, Switzerland was incredible! Although I did not manage to visit every bit and corner of the city, overall it was a trip for lifetime!

My experience with Geneva, Switzerland was incredible!!

Do let me know if you liked reading it and enjoyed the beauty of nature through my words.

Have you visited Geneva? Tell me about your experiences in the comments below. I would love to read your stories and experiences.

If you haven’t and you are getting a chance to visit, don’t miss to grab it.

I have visited some other places within Switzerland during my stay in Geneva like Zurich, Rhine falls, Vevey and Montreux which I will bring in front of you in my later articles.

Keep yourself tuned to my other posts on Short Stories from My Diary and keep supporting me.

Stay home and Stay Safe!!